Slate

It takes a special kind of contractor to care for the slate roof of a National Historic Landmark, and that’s exactly why The Roofing Company was selected by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation to make roof repairs to Carter’s Grove, a stately brick Georgian-style mansion located in the Virginia Peninsula area.

With longtime expertise in slate installation, a commitment to ongoing training and strong ties to the National Slate Association, the Slate Roofing Contractors Association and the Hampton Roads Slate Roofing School, these slate roofing contractors in Hampton Roads were the logical choice to preserve the structural integrity of this national treasure.

Built by Carter Burwell, grandson of Robert “King” Carter, a wealthy early American businessman and Virginia colonist, the mansion at Carter’s Grove was completed in 1755. The home sat on what was then a sprawling 1,400-acre plantation that produced corn and wheat. Over the course of 200 years the property changed hands many times, until it was turned over to the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation in 1969 and operated as part of the Colonial Williamsburg tourist experience. In recent years, Carter’s Grove has again been placed on the real estate market.

“It’s amazing to think that this home is older than our country,” says Brian Chalsma, president of The Roofing & Remodeling Company and vice president of the National Slate Association. “Our company always has an interest in saving Buckingham Slate roofs, and we felt an enormous sense of responsibility due to the historical significance of Carter’s Grove.”

It wasn’t an easy undertaking. The Roofing & Remodeling Company team painstakingly replaced leaky flashing around 40 dormers, six chimneys and eight brick walls, installing new copper flashings in accordance with National Slate Association specifications. They also replaced flashings on the ridges and hips of the roof, as well as replacing some slates.

“Properly maintained Buckingham Slate will last for 200 years,” says Chalsma. “The slate roof on Carter’s Grove was installed in the 1920’s, so it hasn’t even reached half-life and is in good shape. We needed only a few slates for repairs, and the Buckingham Slate Company was very supportive and helped us greatly.” One of the stipulations of the contract required a letter from the quarry certifying that all slates used were genuine Buckingham Slate. The finished roof also had to pass stringent inspections by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources and the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.

From start to completion, the Carter’s Grove roof restoration took a team of six craftsmen more than a year to finish due to its complexity. “We were very humbled to have been the only people to have touched the roof in 85 years,” says Chalsma. “It was a privilege to do something like this.”

It takes a special kind of contractor to care for the slate roof of a National Historic Landmark, and that’s exactly why The Roofing & Remodeling Company was selected by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation to make roof repairs to Carter’s Grove, a stately brick Georgian-style mansion located in the Virginia Peninsula area. With longtime expertise in slate installation, a commitment to ongoing training and strong ties to the National Slate Association, the Slate Roofing Contractors Association and the Hampton Roads Slate Roofing School, these slate roofing contractors in Hampton Roads were the logical choice to preserve the structural integrity of this national treasure.